Knitting machine with narrowing and widening mechanism

ABSTRACT

Carriers are mounted on brackets which may be shifted along each needle bed of a V-bed flat knitting machine for alignment with jacks and needles in each bed and may be moved in the direction of knitting needle elongation on the brackets by solenoids and return springs. A control arm pivotally mounted on each carrier engages an aligned jack and moves the jack toward and away from a level on which it may be engaged by cams on the knitting machine carriage, and thereby select needles whose selvage loops are to be transferred to needles of the other needle bed.

PATENTEUMAR 7 I972 SHEET 1 [1F 6 INVENTURi I frl l7 kravS BYI mud/u 410/ 6 4444,

Ham/r;

PATENTEDHAR 7 1972 SHEET 2 [1F 6 H Gen/r:

KNITTING MACHINE WITII NARROWING AND WIDENING MECHANISM This invention relates to flat bed knitting machines, and particularly to V-bed flat knitting machines equipped with a needle selection mechanism for selecting needles whose yarn loops are to be transferred to needles of the other needle bed for narrowing a knitted fabric.

It is known, for example, from the German Pat. Nos. 660,568 and 899,847, to equip a flat bed knitting machine with devices which automatically transfer selvage loops from raised needles on one needle bed to needles on the other needle bed, and thereafter to retract the empty needles to an inactive position. The known machines require complex selecting mechanisms which reduce the capacity of the machine and are bulky enough to interfere with access to the knitting implements of the machine so that defects in the knitted fabric are not readily detected.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a needle-selecting mechanism which can be controlled in a simple manner and which does not obstruct the knitting area of the machine.

With this object and others in view, the invention provides guide bars extending along the portion of each needle bed remote from the needle hooks, and carriers which may be shifted along the guide bars and transversely of the guide bars in the direction of needle movement. The carriers support control elements which move with the carriers and engage jacks associated with the selected needles for raising thejacks to a level on which they may be engaged by pattern cams on the machine carriage, whereby the selected needles are raised to positions of engagement with a transfer cam on the carriage, and for thereafter withdrawing the jacks until the needles, having transferred their loops, are withdrawn to an inactive position.

Other features, additional objects, and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be appreciated readily as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows a flat knitting machine equipped with the selecting mechanism of the invention in side elevational section on the line I-l in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 shows one of the needle beds of the machine of FIG. 1 and associated elements as viewed in the direction of the arrow A;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cam box of the knitting machine in a conventional manner, the view corresponding substantially to a section on the line Illlll in FIG. 4;

FIGS. 4 to 13 illustrate the cooperation of the cams and other elements on the moving machine carriage with the same knitting needle in one needle bed in views substantially corresponding to that of FIG. I and different respective carriage position;

FIG. 14 illustrates the drive arrangement for the selecting mechanism of the knitting machine in a view analogous to that of FIG. 2, other elements of the machine being omitted for the sake ofclarity;

FIGS. and 16 illustrate the cooperation of the selecting mechanism with pattern jacks in a fragmentary view corresponding to that of FIG. 2 but on a larger scale; and

FIG. 17 diagrammatically illustrates the operation of the selecting mechanism in a fragmentary top plan view of the knitting machine.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and initially to FIG. I, there is only shown as much of an otherwise conventional flat knitting machine as is needed for an understanding of the invention. Two elongated needle beds 1 are arranged in an inverted V-pattern and are each formed with a multiplicity of transverse, parallel grooves, each holding a knitting needle 2 and a patternjack 3. Knitting cams 4 on a carriage 23 engage butts on the needles 1 when the needle butts are within range of the cams 4, and jack cams 5 on the carriage 23 may similarly engage butts on the jacks, as is conventional in itself.

Fixed guide bars 15 are mounted on the machine frame along the lower edge of each needle bed 1. The guide bar associated with the front needle bed supports eight carriers 6 in four connected pairs, whereas four carriers are mounted on the bar 15 adjacent the rear needle bed, as will be discussed in more detail with reference to FIG. 17. An L-shaped control arm 7 is pivotally secured to each carrier 6 for movement in a plane perpendicular to the direction of carriage movement. A compression spring 8 biases each arm toward the illustrated position, and transverse projections 9,10 on each arm 7 are thereby held out of the path of butts 11 on the near ends of the jacks 3.

The carriers 6 are guided for sliding movement in the direction of needle and jack elongation on brackets 14, the brackets themselves being slidably supported on the fixed bars 15 for movement in the direction of carriage travel. Downward movement of each carrier away from the jacks 3 is limited by an abutment 13 on the associated bracket 14, and the carrier is drawn toward the abutment by gravity and by a helical return spring 12, obscured in FIG. 1, but seen in FIGS. 5 to 13.

The brackets 14 support solenoids 16 respectively associated with the carriers 6 to which the solenoid armatures 17 are fastened, as is shown in FIG. 2 for one needle bed, the other needle bed being equipped in the same manner. The brackets 14 are shifted along the fixed bars 15 by means of rods 19,20 of which one passes freely through a bore in a lug 18 depending from each bracket whereas the other one is fixedly fastened to the lug. Brackets 14 fastened to the rod 19 alternate with brackets 14 fastened to the rod 20 along each fixed bar 15.

As is shown in FIG. 14, the rods 19,20 are fastened at one end of the associated needle bed to respective ends of a link chain 50 trained over a sprocket 48. The sprocket may be turned by a reversible electric motor 45 whose output shaft is coupled to the sprocket 48 through a worm and worm gear 46. Another worm transmission 47 connects the motor 45 to a sprocket 49 coupled by a chain 51 and shifting rods 52,53 to stops 44 on the guide rail 54 for yarn carrier boxes 55 supporting yarn carriers 56. The ends of the rods 19,20 remote from the sprocket 48 are connected by a chain trained over an idler pulley in an obvious manner, not shown, and the rods 52,53 are similarly connected. The positions of the stops 44, of which onlyv one is shown in FIG. 14 together with the as sociated yarn carriers, change in accordance with the positions of the associated carriers 6. When one group of carriers 6 and stops 44 moves toward the left, the other group moves toward the right, and vice versa.

Reverting now to FIG. I, the carriers 6 are seen to be equipped with cam follower pins 21 at their ends remote from the abutment 13. A cam assembly 22 fixedly mounted on the carriage 23 clears the pins 21 of those carriers 6 which are held against the associated abutments 13 by the springs 8. When a solenoid 16 is energized, the associated carrier 6 is raised sufficiently that its pin 21 may be engaged by the cam assembly 22 during traverse movement of the carriage 23, as is best seen in FIG. 3.

The knitting cams 4 and the jack cams 5 which longitudinally move the needles 2 and jacks 3 by engagement with respective butts are partly indicated in phantom view in FIG. 2, and more clearly in FIG. 3. The knitting cams 4 include needle-raising cams 24,25 which are inoperative during transfer of yarn loops. The divided needle-lowering or stitch cam 26 is movable, and positioned in FIG. 3 so that the butts of the needles 2 can move between the two parts to the transfer cam 27.

The jack cams 5 include a raising cam 28 which is movable between the illustrated operative position and a retracted position, and the needle cams 4 include a movable lowering cam 29 which is operative when in the position shown in FIG. 3. Additional cam elements illustrated in FIG. 3 will be described with reference to the operation of the apparatus as .illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 13. These figures show sequential positions of the same knitting needle and of associated devices during a single traverse movement of the carriage 23, and

these positions are identical with respective, instantaneous positions of different needles and devices located in planes a to k transverse to the direction D of carriage movement in FIG. 3.

In the starting position a of FIG. 4, the carrier 6 is in its inoperative condition near the abutment 13 in which the cam assembly 22 clears the cam follower pin 21 of the carrier. The upper butt of the jack 3 is on the level of the movable jack raising cam 28, but out of range of cams 32,33 fixedly mounted in the cam box on the carriage 23. The knitting needle 2 is in the rest position determined by alignment of the needle hook with the upper edge of the needle bed.

When the solenoid I6 is energized, the carrier 6 is shifted to the intermediate position illustrated in FIG. 5, and the pin 21 is raised sufficiently to enter a groove in the cam assembly 22, as shown in FIG. 3 at b. The needle 2 and jack 3 maintain their starting positions. The control arm 7 is held by its biasing spring 8 in the clockwise terminal position of its movement on the carrier 6.

During movement of the carriage from the position of FIG. 5 to that of FIG. 6, or the corresponding movement of the needle from position b to position c in FIG. 3, the arm 7 is engaged by an obliquely inclined cam face 36 on the cam assembly 22 and pivoted counterclockwise until its upper projection 9 is located under the lower butt 11 of the jack 3. The positions of the needle 2, the jack 3, and the carrier 6 remain unchanged.

An obliquely rising portion 37 of the cam groove in the cam assembly 22 causes the carrier 6 to rise beyond the intermediate position reached under the action of the solenoid 16 while the angular position of the arm 7 is maintained by a flat face 35 of the cam assembly 22 as the position of FIG. 7 (d) is reached. The projection 9 raises the jack 3 to a level of engagement with the fixed cam 32. The needle 2 still is in its starting position.

During the next step to the position of FIG. 8 (e), an oblique cam surface 38 on the cam assembly 22 permits the arm 7 to revert to its original angular position while the positions of the needle 2, the jack 3, and the carrier 6 remain unchanged.

The upper butt of the jack 3 engages the fixed cam 32 during movement of the apparatus to the condition shown in FIG. 9 (f) and the needle 2 is raised to the level of the knitting cams 4. No change occurs in the positions of the carrier 6 and of the arm 7 whose projections 9,10 are out of range of the lower jack butt 11.

The jack 3 is lowered to an intermediate position by the fixed cam 33 during movement of the carriage to the position of FIG. 10 (g), and the lower butt 11 is now located between the levels of the projections 9 and 10 on the arm 7. The butt of the needle 2 is retained in the knitting cams 4.

As the position of FIG. 11 (h) is reached, an inclined cam face 39 on the assembly 22 pivots the arm 7 counterclockwise without other changes, whereby the lower butt ll of the jack 3 is located below the projection 9.

The position of the needle 2 remains unchanged during movement to the position of FIG. 12 (i) in which the cam follower pin 21 travels downward in an obliquely inclined portion 40 of the associated cam groove, and the carrier 6 is lowered to the intermediate level previously shown in FIG. 5 (b). The projection 9 lowers the jack 3 to a level in which it freely passes the jack-lowering cam 28 even if the latter is in its operative position. The butt of the needle 2 passes between the separated needle-lowering earns 26.

The arm 7 is permitted to return to its initial position by an obliquely inclined cam face 41 of the cam assembly 22 during the next step of carriage movement (FIG. 13, k) and releases the jack 3 while the needle 2 is raised by the lower half of the cam 26 to the level of the transfer cam 27. As the needle en ters the cam 27, the associated solenoid 16 is deenergized, and the carrier 6 reverts to its starting position under the pull of the return spring 12(1).

While raised to the transfer position by the cam 27, the needle 2 transfers its yarn loop to a needle of the opposite needle bed in a known manner not directly relevant to this invention,

and is thereafter returned by the cam 27 to its starting position (m). The empty needle is ultimately fully retracted to the inactive position out of range of the needle-raising cam 24 by a lowering cam 29 (n) so that it remains in the inactive position when the cam 24 becomes operative during the next carriage stroke.

Damage to stitches adjacent the transferred stitch could occur if needles still carrying their yarn loops were retracted by the cam 29. The jacks of these needles are not lowered by associated arms 7 to the level shown in FIG. 12, and their butts are therefore engaged by the jack-raising cam 28 and guided to a cam element 30. The jack movement caused by the cam element 30 shifts the needle butts into a channel 31 between the lowering cam 29 and a cam element 42 which returns the needles carrying stitches to the starting position.

Prior to the next carriage traverse, the motor 45 is briefly I energized if further narrowing is desired, and two carriers 6 I are moved toward each other and are aligned with the next still active needles at either selvage of the knitted piece, whereupon the procedure described above is repeated.

If it is desired to widen the knitted fabric by returning inactive needles to the knitting operation, the carriers are moved apart so that the projection 10 on the control arm 7 of each carrier 6 is located below the butt I] on the jack 3 associated with the last inactivated needle, as is shown in FIG. 15. During the next traverse of the carriage, the projection 10 shifts the jack 3 to the level shown in FIG. 4 (a) and the corresponding needle 4 is raised sufiiciently for engagement with the knitting cams 4 (see FIG. 16).

As is seen in FIGS. 15 and 16, the projections 9,10 are offset by one needle spacing in the direction of carriage movement. The projection 10 is lower than the projection 9, and therefore cannot engage a butt 11 which is in the position of FIG 4 (a). The projection 9 is offset from the butt 11 and cannot engage a jack 3 which is in the retracted position of FIGS. 10 to 13.

As is evident from FIG. 14, the stops 44 for the yarn carrier boxes 55 are coupled with the carriers 6 so that the movement of each yarn carrier is limited to the width of the knitted fabric and open yarn loops are not formed at the selvages.

The switching mechanism which energizes the solenoids l6 and the motors 45 in the necessary timed sequence may be of the known type disclosed in the German Pat. No. 854,990. However, timing switches of any other type may be employed in an obvious manner.

While the narrowing and widening of a single knitted piece requires but one pair of carriers 6 on the front needle bed 1 and another pair on the rear needle bed, it is preferred to equip a flat knitting machine with more than the basic four units. As is diagrammatically shown in FIG. 17, it is preferred to equip the front needle bed with eight units 58,58, 61,61, 67,67, 69,69, and the rear needle bed with four units 59,62,68.70, each unit including a bracket 14 which may be shared with another unit, a carrier 6, an arm 7, and a solenoid 16, as described above, but not shown in detail in FIG. 17.

The units 58,58 for the front needle bed are fixedly fastened to the same rod 19 by a common bracket 14 in closely juxtaposed positions in a manner shown in more detail in FIG. 14, and the rod 19 is also fastened to the paired units 67,67. The pairs of units 61,61 and 69,69 are attached to the rod 20. The units 59,68 on the rear needle bed are attached to the same rod which moves in opposite direction to another rod to which the units 62, 70 are fastened in a manner obvious from the above description of FIG. 14.

Two collars 57, 66 are knitted simultaneously. The units 58,59 on the front and rear needle beds cooperate to produce an oblique selvage 60 on the collar 57, while the units 61,62 shape the opposite selvage 63. At the same time, the units 67,68,69,70 cause the shaping of the collar 66.

Additionally, the auxiliary units 58', 61' produce oblique patterns 64, 65 of imperfections or missing stitches respectively parallel to the selvages 60, 63 on the collar 57, and similar effects are produced on the collar 66 by the auxiliary units 67, 69', by the transferring of yarn loops from the front needle bed to needles of the rear needle bed when jacks are raised as described above with reference to the units 58, 59, 61, 62.

When ajack is raised by one of the auxiliary units 58', 61', 67, 69', the associated needle is made to transfer its loop by the transfer cams on the carriage 23. The auxiliary units cannot withdraw the associated needles, and the latter remain within range of the cams 28 to form stitches in the next course. A small opening in the knitted fabric is produced thereby, and the several openings formed are spacedly arranged in a row parallel to the selvage because the auxiliary units are coupled to the same supporting bracket as the units which form the selvage.

What is claimed is:

1. [n a flat knitting machine having two needle beds elongated in a common direction, a multiplicity of knitting needles elongated transversely to said common direction and juxtaposed in said needle beds, a jack associated with each needle for abuttingly engaging the associated needle and for moving the same in the direction of elongation thereof, a carriage mounted for movement in said common direction, cam means on said carriage for raising and lowering said needles and said jacks in said direction of elongation during said movement of the carriage, and a selecting mechanism for selecting needles to be raised by said cam means to a position in which a yarn loop may be transferred between the selected needle and a needle on the other needle bed, and for thereafter retracting the selected needle to an inactive position, the improvement in the selecting mechanism which comprises:

a. a plurality of carriers;

b. a plurality of bracket means supporting respective carriers for movement in said direction of needle elongation;

c. guide means extending along each needle bed in said common direction and guiding said bracket means between a plurality of positions in which said carriers are longitudinally aligned with respective needles and the associated jacks;

d. drive means for moving said bracket means along said guide means and for moving said carriers on the supporting bracket means in timed sequence; and

e. control means on each carrier for engaging an aligned jack and for moving the same in said direction of elongation during said movement of the carrier on said bracket means toward and away from a position of engagement of saidjack by said cam means, said control means including 1. a control member pivotally mounted on said carrier for movement between an operative and an inoperative position, and 2. two projections offset on said control member in said common direction, and in said direction of elongation 3. said projections being simultaneously aligned with respective juxtaposed jacks in said direction of elongation.

2. in a flat knitting machine having two needle beds elongated in a common direction, a multiplicity of knitting needles elongated transversely to said common direction and juxtaposed in said needle beds, a jack associated with each needle for abuttingly engaging the associated needle and for moving the same in the direction of elongation thereof, a carriage mounted for movement in said common direction, cam means on said carriage for raising and lowering said needles and said jacks in said direction of elongation during said movement of the carriage, and a selecting mechanism for selecting needles to be raised by said cam means to a position in which a yarn loop may be transferred between the selected needle and a needle on the other needle bed, and for thereafter retracting the selected needle to an inactive position, the improvement in the selecting mechanism which comprises:

av a plurality ofcarriers;

b. a plurality of bracket means supporting respective carriers for movement in said direction of needle elongation;

c. guide means extending along each needle bed in said common direction and guiding said bracket means between a plurality of positions in which said carriers are longitudinally aligned with respective needles and the associated jacks;

d. drive means for moving said bracket means along said guide means and for moving said carriers on the supporting bracket means in timed sequence, said drive means inclu'ding l. a cam assembly on said carriage, and 2 cam follower means on each carrier for engaging said cam assembly when said carrier is in a first position on the associated bracket means, and for moving the carrier from said first position to a second position by engagement with said cam assembly during movement of said carriage; and

e. control means on each carrier for engaging an aligned jack and for moving the same in said direction of elongation during said movement of the carrier on said bracket means toward and away from a position of engagement of said jack by said cam means.

3. In a machine as set forth in claim 1, said drive means further including electrically operated means for shifting said carrier between said first position and a third position spaced from said first position in a direction away from said second position.

4. In a flat knitting machine having two needle beds elongated in a common direction, a multiplicity of knitting needles elongated transversely to said common direction and juxtaposed in said needle beds, a jack associated with each needle for abuttingly engaging the associated needle and for moving the same in the direction of elongation thereof, a carriage mounted for movement in said common direction, cam means on said carriage for raising and lowering said needles and said jacks in said direction of elongation during said movement of the carriage, and a selecting mechanism for selecting needles to be raised by said cam means to a position in which a yarn loop may be transferred between the selected needle and a needle on the other needle bed, and for thereafter retracting the selected needle to an inactive position, the improvement in the selecting mechanism which comprises:

a. a plurality of carriers;

b. a plurality of bracket means supporting respective carriers for movement in said direction of needle elongation;

0. guide means extending along each needle bed in said common direction and guiding said bracket means between a plurality of positions in which said carriers are longitudinally aligned with respective needles and the associated jacks;

d. drive means for moving said bracket means along said guide means and for moving said carriers on the supporting bracket means in timed sequence;

. control means on each carrier for engaging an aligned jack and for moving the same in said direction of elongation during said movement of the carrier on said bracket means toward and away from a position of engagement of said jack by said cam means;

. an auxiliary carrier secured to one of said first-mentioned carriers for movement therewith in said common direction; and

additional control means on said auxiliary carrier for engaging another aligned jack and for moving the same in said direction of elongation during said movement of said one carrier on said bracket means toward and away from a position of engagement of said other jack by said cam means.

5. ln a flat knitting machine having two needle beds elongated in a common direction, a multiplicity of knitting needles elongated transversely to said common direction and juxtaposed in said needle beds, a jack associated with each needle for abuttingly engaging the associated needle and for moving the same in the direction of elongation thereof, a carriage mounted for movement in said common direction, cam means on said carriagc for raising and lowering said needles and said jacks in said direction of elongation during said movement of the carriage, a yarn carrier mounted for movement in said common direction, stop means for limiting said movement of the yarn carrier, and a selecting mechanism for selecting needles to be raised by said cam means to a position in which a yarn loop may be transferred between the selected needle and a needle on the other needle bed, and for thereafter retracting the selected needle to an inactive position, the improvement in the selecting mechanism which comprises:

a. a plurality of carriers; b. a plurality of bracket means supporting respective carriers for movement in said direction of needle elongation; c. guide means extending along each needle bed in said common direction and guiding said bracket means between a plurality of positions in which said carriers are longitudinally aligned with respective needles and the as- 8 sociated jacks;

drive means for moving said bracket means along said guide means and for moving said carriers on the supporting bracket means in timed sequence; control means on each carrier for engaging an aligned jack and for moving the same in said direction of elongation during said movement of the carrier on said bracket means toward and away from a position of engagement of said jack by said cam means; and coupling means coupling said stop means to one of said bracket means for shifting said stop means in said common direction when said one bracket means is moved in said common direction by said drive means. 

1. In a flat knitting machine having two needle beds elongated in a common direction, a multiplicity of knitting needles elongated transversely to said common direction and juxtaposed in said needle beds, a jack associated with each needle for abuttingly engaging the associated needle and for moving the same in the direction of elongation thereof, a carriage mounted for movement in said common direction, cam means on said carriage for raising and lowering said needles and said jacks in said direction of elongation during said movement of the carriage, and a selecting mechanism for selecting needles to be raised by said cam means to a position in which a yarn loop may be transferred between the selected needle and a needle on the other needle bed, and for thereafter retracting the selected needle to an inactive position, the improvement in the selecting mechanism which comprises: a. a plurality of carriers; b. a plurality of bracket means supporting respective carriers for movement in said direction of needle elongation; c. guide means extending along each needle bed in said common direction and guiding said bracket means between a plurality of positions in which said carrierS are longitudinally aligned with respective needles and the associated jacks; d. drive means for moving said bracket means along said guide means and for moving said carriers on the supporting bracket means in timed sequence; and e. control means on each carrier for engaging an aligned jack and for moving the same in said direction of elongation during said movement of the carrier on said bracket means toward and away from a position of engagement of said jack by said cam means, said control means including
 1. a control member pivotally mounted on said carrier for movement between an operative and an inoperative position, and
 2. two projections offset on said control member in said common direction, and in said direction of elongation
 3. said projections being simultaneously aligned with respective juxtaposed jacks in said direction of elongation.
 2. two projections offset on said control member in said common direction, and in said direction of elongation
 2. In a flat knitting machine having two needle beds elongated in a common direction, a multiplicity of knitting needles elongated transversely to said common direction and juxtaposed in said needle beds, a jack associated with each needle for abuttingly engaging the associated needle and for moving the same in the direction of elongation thereof, a carriage mounted for movement in said common direction, cam means on said carriage for raising and lowering said needles and said jacks in said direction of elongation during said movement of the carriage, and a selecting mechanism for selecting needles to be raised by said cam means to a position in which a yarn loop may be transferred between the selected needle and a needle on the other needle bed, and for thereafter retracting the selected needle to an inactive position, the improvement in the selecting mechanism which comprises: a. a plurality of carriers; b. a plurality of bracket means supporting respective carriers for movement in said direction of needle elongation; c. guide means extending along each needle bed in said common direction and guiding said bracket means between a plurality of positions in which said carriers are longitudinally aligned with respective needles and the associated jacks; d. drive means for moving said bracket means along said guide means and for moving said carriers on the supporting bracket means in timed sequence, said drive means including
 3. In a machine as set forth in claim 1, said drive means further including electrically operated means for shifting said carrier between said first position and a third position spaced from said first position in a direction away from said second position.
 3. said projections being simultaneously aligned with respective juxtaposed jacks in said direction of elongation.
 4. In a flat knitting machine having two needle beds elongated in a common direction, a multiplicity of knitting needles elongated transversely to said common direction and juxtaposed in said needle beds, a jack associated with each needle for abuttingly engaging the associated needle and for moving the same in the direction of elongation thereof, a carriage mounted for movement in said common direction, cam means on said carriage for raising and lowering said needles and said jacks in said direction of elongation during said movement of the carriage, and a selecting mechanism for selecting needles to be raised by said cam means to a position in which a yarn loop may be transferred between the selected needle and a needle on the other needle bed, and for thereafter retracting the selected Needle to an inactive position, the improvement in the selecting mechanism which comprises: a. a plurality of carriers; b. a plurality of bracket means supporting respective carriers for movement in said direction of needle elongation; c. guide means extending along each needle bed in said common direction and guiding said bracket means between a plurality of positions in which said carriers are longitudinally aligned with respective needles and the associated jacks; d. drive means for moving said bracket means along said guide means and for moving said carriers on the supporting bracket means in timed sequence; e. control means on each carrier for engaging an aligned jack and for moving the same in said direction of elongation during said movement of the carrier on said bracket means toward and away from a position of engagement of said jack by said cam means; f. an auxiliary carrier secured to one of said first-mentioned carriers for movement therewith in said common direction; and g. additional control means on said auxiliary carrier for engaging another aligned jack and for moving the same in said direction of elongation during said movement of said one carrier on said bracket means toward and away from a position of engagement of said other jack by said cam means.
 5. In a flat knitting machine having two needle beds elongated in a common direction, a multiplicity of knitting needles elongated transversely to said common direction and juxtaposed in said needle beds, a jack associated with each needle for abuttingly engaging the associated needle and for moving the same in the direction of elongation thereof, a carriage mounted for movement in said common direction, cam means on said carriage for raising and lowering said needles and said jacks in said direction of elongation during said movement of the carriage, a yarn carrier mounted for movement in said common direction, stop means for limiting said movement of the yarn carrier, and a selecting mechanism for selecting needles to be raised by said cam means to a position in which a yarn loop may be transferred between the selected needle and a needle on the other needle bed, and for thereafter retracting the selected needle to an inactive position, the improvement in the selecting mechanism which comprises: a. a plurality of carriers; b. a plurality of bracket means supporting respective carriers for movement in said direction of needle elongation; c. guide means extending along each needle bed in said common direction and guiding said bracket means between a plurality of positions in which said carriers are longitudinally aligned with respective needles and the associated jacks; d. drive means for moving said bracket means along said guide means and for moving said carriers on the supporting bracket means in timed sequence; e. control means on each carrier for engaging an aligned jack and for moving the same in said direction of elongation during said movement of the carrier on said bracket means toward and away from a position of engagement of said jack by said cam means; and f. coupling means coupling said stop means to one of said bracket means for shifting said stop means in said common direction when said one bracket means is moved in said common direction by said drive means. 